1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an athletic glove for receiving and protecting the hand of a wearer. The invention concerns, more particularly, a batting glove for use by a baseball player, softball player, or the like.
2. Description of Background Art
Early batting gloves were thin, tight-fitting, leather gloves that served the dual purpose of improving grip on the bat and protecting the hand from shear forces associated with bat swing. Used in conjunction with a wooden bat, early batting gloves provided semi-effective hand protection because wood exhibits the capacity to attenuate impact forces and dampen vibrations that are generated when a bat contacts a ball.
In latter parts of the twentieth century, metal bats became prevalent among both amateur and professional athletes. Typically formed of aluminum or a specialized alloy, the metal bat did not exhibit the qualities of the wooden bat with respect to impact force attenuation and vibration dampening. As such, the hand absorbed a greater portion of the impact forces and vibrations associated with contacting a ball.
In response, batting glove manufacturers added a layer of thin padding to a portion of the exterior palmar surface of batting gloves. The padding served the dual purpose of attenuating impact forces and dampening vibrations. As a side effect, however, the padding often detracted from the batter""s tactile sensation, thereby limiting control of the bat. In addition to a high degree of hand-eye coordination, the ability of the batter to perceive the position of the bat through tactile sensation and finely control bat motion based upon the tactile sensation is an important feature of batting. Accordingly, batting glove manufacturers have attempted to strategically place the padding so as to achieve a balance between protection and tactile sensation.
Manufacturers of batting gloves with various padding configurations include Nike, Easton, Franklin, Louisville Slugger, Markwort, Mizuno, Palmgard, Rawlings, Reebok, and Worth. In addition, patents relating to batting glove design include U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,642 to Webster; U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,578 to Stanley, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,719 to Johnson.
The present invention relates to a batting glove for receiving a hand of a wearer. The glove includes a base portion for covering at least a portion of the hand and a protective portion that is attached to the base portion and located between the base portion and the hand.
The primary design consideration behind the batting glove of the present invention is to protect to the hand from the impact forces and vibrations that are commonly associated with batting while retaining a high degree of tactile sensation in areas of the hand that are important to bat control. Protective padding that is placed in certain locations may detract from the ability of the batter to perceive the bat and properly grip the bat, thereby limiting control of the bat. Likewise, protective padding that is absent from other areas may expose the hand to greater levels of impact forces and vibrations. As such, the present invention balances the need for protection against the need for sensation with respect to each area of the hand surface that contacts the bat during batting.
Contact between a bat and a ball typically generates an oppositely-directed impact force that is primarily absorbed by the joints connecting the proximal phalanges with the metacarpals of the second through fifth digits. Contact between a bat and a ball may also generate vibrations that travel longitudinally along the length of the bat. The vibrations are typically dampened by the first, second and fifth digital areas. In order to protect the hand from impact forces and vibrations, padding is placed in at least the areas noted above.
The protective portion does not include padding on the third and fourth digital areas. Although these areas experience some impact forces and vibrations, the forces and vibrations are typically not significant enough to warrant protection. Furthermore, tactile sensation of the bat on the third and fourth digital areas improves bat control. As such, the need for retaining tactile sensation in these areas outweighs the lesser need for protection. Accordingly, the present invention serves the purpose of protecting areas of the hand that experience the majority of the forces and vibrations associated with batting while retaining tactile sensation in areas important to bat control.
Prior art batting gloves often utilized padding configurations wherein one side of the glove""s palmar surface included substantially more padding than the other side. These configurations led to an unbalanced feeling when gripping the bat. Accordingly, the placement of padding on the second and fifth digits provides the batter with a more balanced grip and feel.
The advantages and features of novelty that characterize the present invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. To gain an improved understanding of the advantages and features of novelty that characterize the present invention, however, reference may be made to the descriptive matter and accompanying drawings that describe and illustrate various embodiments of the invention.